Author's Note: My continuing thanks to all who've been reading (and reviewing my story). All your suggestions have merrit, but I probably won't have time to make changes to this story. I will keep them in mind for my next fic, however. This is the second to the last chapter of this fic. Although the fic and chapters are short, I hope you like my overall story concept. Below this chapter is an excerpt of a new fic I'm working on called "Friends Close, Enemies Closer". I have barely begun it, so I don't know when I'll post it.....Most likely in the new year. Thanks again, Jayden
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Lucas films and Timothy Zahn. I am making no money nor claiming any rights to characters.
Chapter Six: The Deliverance
The room itself seemed to emulate the Emperor's wrath as he spoke, "You will pay dearly for your betrayal child. Lord Vader, finally, you may kill Mara Jade."
The Emperor smiled viciously, anticipating the girl's fear and remorseful pleading for her miserable life. He was to be disappointed, for Mara's only response was no response at all. She remained calm and relaxed. Beside her, Skywalker also seemed unmoved by Palpatine's demand. Realization sank in as the tyrant turned questionably toward the man who had served half of his life as his slave.
Anakin spoke with pride, his voice loud and clear. "I defy you Palpatine. I will not harm my student nor will I harm my son. It is time for your reign to come to an end."
Luke continued where his father left off. "You have failed Your Highness. The jedi are alive and we three are only the beginning. Surrender---or die."
The Emperor threw back his head as he laughed insanely. "You fools think you can defeat me? You will soon learn differently." Without warning his head came down as he raised his arms toward Luke and Anakin, slamming their bodies with black lightening filled with all the force of his vengeance.
Mara didn't wait. She charged the stairs toward her former master, light saber drawn as the blue blade cast an eerie glow to her determined face. The tyrant allowed her to reach the top of the steps before he turned both hands on her, throwing her brutally down the stairs with the intensity of his dark blast.
Palpatine paused briefly to scrutinize his quarry lying at his feet. Young Skywalker was trying to raise in vain. He managed to lift himself to his hands and knees, then fell unceremoniously to the floor. Mara Jade lay near by him, unmoving and semiconscious. Palpatine smiled congratulatory to himself as he pondered who he would kill first. His smiled faded as he turned to where Vader should have been and found nothing. Vader was gone. Alarm rose in the despot as he searched for his former slave, first with his eyes, then with the force. It was to no benefit, for he could not sense Vader's presence anywhere. Fear stabbed at Palpatine as he heard the snap-hiss of a light saber
behind him. He turned in time to see Darth Vader's red blade run him through. The last thought that went through his mind, as he felt the fire of the blade sear his black heart, was how he could have miscalculated Vader so completely.
As the slain abomination's lifeless body fell to the floor, the room seemed to quiet in an expectant pause. The Emperor's body then exploded in what might have been a last furious attack on the occupants in the room. Luke and Mara, still lying at the bottom of the stairs, were able to shield their heads in their arms, but he force of the blast seemed to assault Vader and cruelly threw him to the bottom of the stairs. He landed with a sickening thud between Luke and Mara.
Luke was the first to react. "Father!" He cried out in dread, fearing his father was already gone. He crawled to his father and cradled him in his arms. "Father?" He questioned. Anakin stirred then seemed to focus on his son. Mara crawled over to assist Luke.
"Luke, help me take this mask off," Anakin rasped.
Luke pleaded, "No, you'll die." He looked to Mara for support, but her attention was on his father, as tears streamed down her face.
Luke turned back to his father and Anakin spoke, "Nothing can stop that now. Please Luke, let me look at you once as my true self before I die."
Luke assisted him in taking off the mask. Anakin's face was pasty white with a deep gash across his face from an old injury. He looked weak and tired, but his eyes held love and warmth as he gazed at his son. Luke thought that it was the most beautiful face he had seen.
Anakin stared at his son, so strong, so kind, so much like his mother. His gaze then fell upon Mara and he saw a forgiveness and compassion that he had not seen since she was first brought to the Emperor as a small child. He raised his hand to her chin. "Thank you for believing in me Mara."
He dropped his hand down and reached out taking her hand in his. He turned back to Luke and took his hand as well. "Thank you, my son. Tell your sister I am sorry and that her father did not die in the dark."
Anakin took Mara's hand and placed it in Luke's. "Pass on what you have learned, Master Skywalker." And, Anakin took one last breath, then died quietly.
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***Mara Jade, Emperor's Hand, has just failed for a second time to kill Master Jedi Leia Solo. Mara has returned to the palace to see Palpatine. Her long time nemesis, Lord Luke Skywalker, is also waiting to see his Master (yep, Luke is dark in this fic).
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As Mara reached the entrance to the throne room, she was dismayed to find Lord Skywalker waiting for admittance as well. Was it not enough that she had failed her mission, but now would have to endure humiliation as Skywalker witnessed her reprimand.
The chamber doors opened immediately and Mara was temporarily spared any of Skywalker's snide comments. They approached the throne and quietly kneeled before their master.
Without preamble Palpatine spoke, "Lord Skywalker, you have done well. Rise my friend. Again you have successfully completed your mission."
"Thank you, my master," Skywalker humbly replied as he rose.
The Emperor turned his attention to the young woman still kneeling before him, as he had not bade her to rise. She seemed to be seething with anger. How he enjoyed tormenting the girl. "Mara Jade, a second time you have failed me. The punishment for failure is death."
Mara went numb at her master's words. She had not anticipated he would kill her. Enjoying the feeling of the girl's fear he continued, "I have invested much in you child. My anger with you is great, but I have decided not to kill you. Instead, I will punish you with what you fear the most."
Mara's mind reeled at his words. Palpatine savored her panic for a moment then turned to Luke. "Lord Skywalker, you have served me well. You deserve to be rewarded. I present you a slave, Mara Jade. Train her, torture, kill her----her life belongs to you now. She would do well to remember that."
Dread filled Mara and she vaguely heard Palpatine dismiss them. Mara looked up to the impassive face of her new master. "Come Mara," he ordered curtly and turned on his heel briskly leaving the room. She gave one last pleading look to Palpatine, who smiled cruelly at her. Wordlessly she rose and followed after Skywalker. If she hated him before, she loathed him now.
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Lucas films and Timothy Zahn. I am making no money nor claiming any rights to characters.
Chapter Six: The Deliverance
The room itself seemed to emulate the Emperor's wrath as he spoke, "You will pay dearly for your betrayal child. Lord Vader, finally, you may kill Mara Jade."
The Emperor smiled viciously, anticipating the girl's fear and remorseful pleading for her miserable life. He was to be disappointed, for Mara's only response was no response at all. She remained calm and relaxed. Beside her, Skywalker also seemed unmoved by Palpatine's demand. Realization sank in as the tyrant turned questionably toward the man who had served half of his life as his slave.
Anakin spoke with pride, his voice loud and clear. "I defy you Palpatine. I will not harm my student nor will I harm my son. It is time for your reign to come to an end."
Luke continued where his father left off. "You have failed Your Highness. The jedi are alive and we three are only the beginning. Surrender---or die."
The Emperor threw back his head as he laughed insanely. "You fools think you can defeat me? You will soon learn differently." Without warning his head came down as he raised his arms toward Luke and Anakin, slamming their bodies with black lightening filled with all the force of his vengeance.
Mara didn't wait. She charged the stairs toward her former master, light saber drawn as the blue blade cast an eerie glow to her determined face. The tyrant allowed her to reach the top of the steps before he turned both hands on her, throwing her brutally down the stairs with the intensity of his dark blast.
Palpatine paused briefly to scrutinize his quarry lying at his feet. Young Skywalker was trying to raise in vain. He managed to lift himself to his hands and knees, then fell unceremoniously to the floor. Mara Jade lay near by him, unmoving and semiconscious. Palpatine smiled congratulatory to himself as he pondered who he would kill first. His smiled faded as he turned to where Vader should have been and found nothing. Vader was gone. Alarm rose in the despot as he searched for his former slave, first with his eyes, then with the force. It was to no benefit, for he could not sense Vader's presence anywhere. Fear stabbed at Palpatine as he heard the snap-hiss of a light saber
behind him. He turned in time to see Darth Vader's red blade run him through. The last thought that went through his mind, as he felt the fire of the blade sear his black heart, was how he could have miscalculated Vader so completely.
As the slain abomination's lifeless body fell to the floor, the room seemed to quiet in an expectant pause. The Emperor's body then exploded in what might have been a last furious attack on the occupants in the room. Luke and Mara, still lying at the bottom of the stairs, were able to shield their heads in their arms, but he force of the blast seemed to assault Vader and cruelly threw him to the bottom of the stairs. He landed with a sickening thud between Luke and Mara.
Luke was the first to react. "Father!" He cried out in dread, fearing his father was already gone. He crawled to his father and cradled him in his arms. "Father?" He questioned. Anakin stirred then seemed to focus on his son. Mara crawled over to assist Luke.
"Luke, help me take this mask off," Anakin rasped.
Luke pleaded, "No, you'll die." He looked to Mara for support, but her attention was on his father, as tears streamed down her face.
Luke turned back to his father and Anakin spoke, "Nothing can stop that now. Please Luke, let me look at you once as my true self before I die."
Luke assisted him in taking off the mask. Anakin's face was pasty white with a deep gash across his face from an old injury. He looked weak and tired, but his eyes held love and warmth as he gazed at his son. Luke thought that it was the most beautiful face he had seen.
Anakin stared at his son, so strong, so kind, so much like his mother. His gaze then fell upon Mara and he saw a forgiveness and compassion that he had not seen since she was first brought to the Emperor as a small child. He raised his hand to her chin. "Thank you for believing in me Mara."
He dropped his hand down and reached out taking her hand in his. He turned back to Luke and took his hand as well. "Thank you, my son. Tell your sister I am sorry and that her father did not die in the dark."
Anakin took Mara's hand and placed it in Luke's. "Pass on what you have learned, Master Skywalker." And, Anakin took one last breath, then died quietly.
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***Mara Jade, Emperor's Hand, has just failed for a second time to kill Master Jedi Leia Solo. Mara has returned to the palace to see Palpatine. Her long time nemesis, Lord Luke Skywalker, is also waiting to see his Master (yep, Luke is dark in this fic).
-----------
As Mara reached the entrance to the throne room, she was dismayed to find Lord Skywalker waiting for admittance as well. Was it not enough that she had failed her mission, but now would have to endure humiliation as Skywalker witnessed her reprimand.
The chamber doors opened immediately and Mara was temporarily spared any of Skywalker's snide comments. They approached the throne and quietly kneeled before their master.
Without preamble Palpatine spoke, "Lord Skywalker, you have done well. Rise my friend. Again you have successfully completed your mission."
"Thank you, my master," Skywalker humbly replied as he rose.
The Emperor turned his attention to the young woman still kneeling before him, as he had not bade her to rise. She seemed to be seething with anger. How he enjoyed tormenting the girl. "Mara Jade, a second time you have failed me. The punishment for failure is death."
Mara went numb at her master's words. She had not anticipated he would kill her. Enjoying the feeling of the girl's fear he continued, "I have invested much in you child. My anger with you is great, but I have decided not to kill you. Instead, I will punish you with what you fear the most."
Mara's mind reeled at his words. Palpatine savored her panic for a moment then turned to Luke. "Lord Skywalker, you have served me well. You deserve to be rewarded. I present you a slave, Mara Jade. Train her, torture, kill her----her life belongs to you now. She would do well to remember that."
Dread filled Mara and she vaguely heard Palpatine dismiss them. Mara looked up to the impassive face of her new master. "Come Mara," he ordered curtly and turned on his heel briskly leaving the room. She gave one last pleading look to Palpatine, who smiled cruelly at her. Wordlessly she rose and followed after Skywalker. If she hated him before, she loathed him now.